{"id":253,"date":"2020-07-04T06:26:32","date_gmt":"2020-07-04T06:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/?p=253"},"modified":"2020-07-10T06:59:22","modified_gmt":"2020-07-10T06:59:22","slug":"tanabata-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/tanabata-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Tanabata Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='full_slider_1'  class='avia-fullwidth-slider main_color avia-shadow   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_section  avia-builder-el-first   container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div   data-size='featured'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='257'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='false'  data-slide_height=''  data-handle='av_slideshow_full'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id=''  data-scroll_down=''  data-control_layout='av-control-hidden'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-src=''  data-position='top left'  data-repeat='no-repeat'  data-attach='scroll'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='28.666666666667'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-1  av-control-hidden av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-featured av_slideshow_full   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 28.666666666667%;' ><li  class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><img src='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/tanabata-japanese-festival-top-pic-1500x430.jpg' width='1500' height='430' title='' alt='tanabata japanese festival'  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"   \/><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n<div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section main_color avia-section-small avia-no-border-styling  avia-bg-style-scroll  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_slideshow_full  el_before_av_section   container_wrap sidebar_right' style='background-color: rgba(10,90,130,0.19);  '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-253'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:0px; margin:0 0 0 0; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h1  blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-2  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Tanabata Festival<\/h1><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='av_section_2'  class='avia-section main_color avia-section-small avia-no-border-styling  avia-bg-style-scroll  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_section  avia-builder-el-last   container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-253'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fourth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-4  el_before_av_one_fourth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><p><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>READING TIME: 3 MINUTES.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_254\" style=\"width: 440px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tanabata-Festival-in-Edo-Hiroshige-1852-.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-254\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-254\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tanabata-Festival-in-Edo-Hiroshige-1852-.jpg\" alt=\"Tanabata Festival In Edo (Hiroshige, 1852)\" width=\"430\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tanabata-Festival-in-Edo-Hiroshige-1852-.jpg 831w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tanabata-Festival-in-Edo-Hiroshige-1852--600x419.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tanabata-Festival-in-Edo-Hiroshige-1852--300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tanabata-Festival-in-Edo-Hiroshige-1852--768x536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tanabata-Festival-in-Edo-Hiroshige-1852--705x492.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-254\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tanabata Festival In Edo (Hiroshige, 1852)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Something that I love about Japan is the many festivals we have around the year. To me these are sweet occasions when the old myths and traditions come to life and bring the magic of the past to our modern, not so magical lives. One of my favorite festivals is <span class=\"_4yxp\">Tanabata, <\/span>also known as the star festival that is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month, just a couple of days from today. According to a Chinese legend, this is the only day that the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet. We can already see the colorful paper decorations <span class=\"_4yxp\">Tanabata <\/span>is known for all around town. Tall <span class=\"_4yxp\">sasa<\/span> bamboo branches are decorated with colorful paper slips, each one carrying a wish: from young children to adults, people write what they wish for and pray that the wish will come true.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  style='height:30px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><div id=\"attachment_255\" style=\"width: 341px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Making-Tanabata-decorations-old-print.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-255\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-255\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Making-Tanabata-decorations-old-print.jpg\" alt=\"Making Tanabata decorations (old print)\" width=\"331\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Making-Tanabata-decorations-old-print.jpg 470w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Making-Tanabata-decorations-old-print-236x300.jpg 236w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 331px) 100vw, 331px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Making Tanabata decorations (old print)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"_4yxp\">Tanabata<\/span> festival is based on the beautiful legend of two lovers: <span class=\"_4yxp\">Orihime<\/span> (the Weaving Princess) and <span class=\"_4yxp\">Hikoboshi (<\/span>the Cow Herder<span class=\"_4yxp\">.) <\/span>Princess Orihime wove beautiful clothes by the heavenly river, represented by the Milky Way. Because Orihime worked so hard weaving beautiful clothes, she became sad and despaired of ever finding love. Her father, who was a God of the heavens, loved her dearly and arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi, the cow herder who lived on the other side of the Milky Way. The two fell in love instantly and married. Their love and devotion was so deep that Orihime stopped weaving and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to wander the heavens.<\/p>\n<div class=\"_2cuy _3dgx _2vxa\">\n<p>Princess Orihime\u2019s father became angry and forbade the lovers to be together, but Orihime pleaded with him to allow them to stay. He loved his daughter, so he decreed that the two star-crossed lovers could meet once a year&#8211;on the 7th day of the 7th month if Orihime returned to her weaving. It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, they cannot meet and the two lovers must wait another year to be reunited, so Japanese always wish for good weather on Tanabata.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_2cuy _3dgx _2vxa\">Tanabata is celebrated all over Japan, but the most famous festival is the <span class=\"_4yxp\">Tanabata<\/span> in the city of Sendai, Miyagi prefecture. It is easily accessible with the bullet train &#8211; only an hour away from Tokyo, so if you happen to be in Japan at this time of the year do not miss its spectacular decorations.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div><div class=\"flex_column av_one_fourth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_three_fourth  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-9  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><section id=\"archives-3\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_archive\"><h3 class=\"widgettitle\">Archives<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2025\/05\/'>May 2025<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2024\/08\/'>August 2024<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2023\/05\/'>May 2023<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2022\/07\/'>July 2022<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2021\/09\/'>September 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2021\/03\/'>March 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2021\/02\/'>February 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2021\/01\/'>January 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/09\/'>September 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/08\/'>August 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/07\/'>July 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/06\/'>June 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/05\/'>May 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/04\/'>April 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t<span class=\"seperator extralight-border\"><\/span><\/section><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='after_section_2'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-253'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of my favorite festivals is Tanabata, also known as the star festival that is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month, just a couple of days from today. According to a Chinese legend, this is the only day that the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":310,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253\/revisions\/310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}